Dickason murder trial: Court hears ‘alienated’ mom labelled murders ‘a package deal’

South African murder accused Lauren Dickason reportedly told a psychiatrist soon after she was arrested for killing her three children, that “it was a package deal”.

The shock evidence emerged in the third week of Dickason’s trial at the High Court in Christchurch, New Zealand, on Monday, 31 July.

“I didn’t want to be left behind or leave them behind,” the 43-year-old Dickason said, reported the New Zealand Herald.

Stuff NZ reported it was said the thoughts and impulses to harm the children came about while the troubled Dickason was in isolation alongside the mother of her husband, Graham, shortly before leaving for New Zealand.

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Lauren Dickason seeks verdict of ‘not guilty’ for triple murder

Dickason is charged with murdering Liané – who was a week away from her seventh birthday – and the two-year-old twins Maya and Karla at their Timaru home in September 2021.

The family had emigrated from South Africa and been in New Zealand for less than a month when the daughters’ mother allegedly strangled them with cable ties strung together, before smothering them to death with a towel.

Dickason has not denied the triple murder, but is seeking a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity or infanticide.

This because she had spiralled so deep into postpartum depression and felt she had no choice but to kill herself and her children.

Forensic psychiatrist: Dickason felt ‘alienated’

Forensic psychiatrist Dr Erik Monasterio interviewed Dickason on four separate occasions for a total of nine hours.

On Monday, Monasterio told the court Dickason often felt “rejected”, which at times escalated to anger. However, according to her, she always felt love towards her children.

When Graham focused on the children, Dickason reported feeling “alienated” at times, as she apparently heavily relied on him for emotional support.

She told Monasterio she thought of strangling the children and using interconnected cable ties to do so. There were many cable ties around and the children often played with them.

The thoughts “suddenly stopped” after 10 to 15 minutes. She claimed she threw the cable ties away and didn’t think about them again until the night of the tragic incident.

ALSO READ: Dickason murder trial: Court hears how six-year-old fought back, ‘Why are you doing this to us mum?’

‘Karla actually hits me in the face’

Different parenting methods between her and Graham also caused tension, according to Monasterio.

“They yell at me and tell me to go away, and Karla actually hits me in the face”, a message to a friend, read out by Monasterio in court, said.

Husband claims Dickason was often anxious

Monasterio also interviewed Graham Dickason.

He reported that Lauren was always vulnerable to stress, particularly after their inability to conceive and the various births of the three children.

She was often anxious, leading the children to gravitate towards him, he told Monasterio.

The forensic psychologist is expected to give his formal opinion of Dickason tomorrow (Tuesday, 1 August).

*This report was compiled using information from New Zealand publications, Stuff NZ and New Zealand Herald